New Study Ties Roundup’s Active Ingredient to Damaging Effects on Brain
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Researchers have uncovered new health concerns tied to a widely used herbicide in the United States.
A study published in the Journal of Neuroinflammation this week suggests that exposure to glyphosate – the active ingredient in Roundup – can have serious adverse health effects on the human brain.
“Our results are the first to demonstrate that despite an extended recovery period, exposure to glyphosate elicits long-lasting pathological consequences,” the study stated.
The study, conducted by Arizona State University researchers, involved testing lab mice with different doses of glyphosate. The results revealed that exposure can cause serious issues like brain inflammation and may even contribute to the risk of neurodegenerative diseases.
The results showed that even brief exposure could have significant negative impacts on the mice.
“While reports show that most Americans are exposed to glyphosate daily, these results show that even a short period could potentially cause neurological damage,” an Arizona State article on the study said. “By proxy, the study raises serious concerns about the chemical’s safety for human populations.”
This is not the first time that glyphosate’s health impacts have been questioned. There are currently thousands of Roundup lawsuits pending over claims that the popular weed killer contributed to the development of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in some of its users.
But the newly released research expands the pool of people whose health may have been significantly impacted by glyphosate. This research suggests that even those who eat foods that were treated with glyphosate could be impacted.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide in the United States.
The study emphasized the need for continued analysis to learn more about how glyphosate exposure affects humans.
“As glyphosate use continues to rise, more research is needed to elucidate the impact of this herbicide and its metabolites on the human brain,” the study stated.
Roundup Lawsuits Over Health Concerns Date Back Years
The new study expands upon existing health concerns regarding glyphosate that have been at the center of legal battles for years.
Thousands of plaintiffs claim Roundup’s maker, Monsanto, failed to warn of cancer risks associated with its product.
Bayer, which bought Monsanto in 2018, rejects these claims and has worked to combat the ongoing litigation.
“Based on decades of science and worldwide regulatory assessments that continue to support Roundup’s safety and non-carcinogenicity, we are confident that we can bring this litigation to an end,” the company says on its website.
Recent trial results have been mixed, with Bayer stating that it has won 15 of the 22 most recent Roundup cases to go to trial.
But a Philadelphia jury in October awarded $78 million to a man who developed cancer after years of Roundup use. Bayer has pushed for the overarching issue to be settled by the Supreme Court.
Editor Lindsay Donaldson contributed to this article.